Hydraulically actuated winch mechanism



P 1970 J. H. WILSON 3,531,087

HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED WINCH MECHANISM Original Filed March 28, 1968 HART WILSON INVENTOR.

HIS AGENT FJZEZ United States Patent O 3,531,087 HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED WINCH MECHANISM John Hart Wilson, Wilson Mfg. Co., P.O. Box 1031, Wichita Falls, Tex. 76307 Original application Mar. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 716,813, now Patent No. 3,442,239, dated May 6, 1969. Divided and this application Apr. 9, 1969, Ser. No. 814,673

Int. Cl. B66d N30 US. Cl. 254-150 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fluid actuated winching mechanism for rotating a winch drum in one direction to lift a load and to permit the winch drum to rotate in the opposite direction to lower the load. The winch drum is operated by a pair of levers, each having a pawl thereon. Each pawl is moved into and out of engagement with circumferentially spaced ratchets on each side of a drum and when the several fluid cylinders and plungers are actuated in sequence, the winch drum may be positively turned to lift the load or to lower the load. A programming valving mechanism may be associated with the various cylinders, so each cylinder will be actuated at the proper time for eflicient operation of the winch.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 716,813, filed Mar. 28, 1968, Submergible Stabilizer for Barges, now Pat. No. 3,442,239, issued May 6, 1969. This application also makes reference to co-pending applications Ser. No. 633,232, Automated Drill Stem and Pipe Positioner Device, filed Apr. 24, 1967 and Automated Pipe Tongs, Ser. No. 634,976, filed May 1, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fluid actuated winches, wherein, any fluid under pressure, such as air or hydraulic fluid may be used to rotate the winch in one direction or to permit the load to operate the winch in the opposite direction, but with controlled rotation.

It is desirable to lift heavy loads or to lower heavy loads with a winch at a relatively slow rate of speed but with great power, but at the same time make the winch as compact as possible, simple and inexpensive in construction, and yet sturdy and reliable in operation, and which will require a minimum of maintenance.

It is difllcult to provide an effective fluid actuated winch incorporating the above mentioned desired design characteristics. Prior art winches to lift heavy loads have either employed bulky and expensive motors or other constructions which did not provide satisfactory operating characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A drum is mounted on a base in journaled relation to form a winch means for rotation of the winch means about an axis, with an arcuately movable lever means on each side of the drum, each of which lever means has a pawl means thereon actuated by fluid actuated means and each which lever means is actuated through an arcuate movement by a fluid actuated means. A fluid conduit means leads to the respective fluid actuating means, with the pawl means associated with each arcuately movable lever means to engage circumferentially spaced ratchet means on the drum so as to enable a combination of lever and fluid actuated means to provide compounded power to rotate a drum in one direction, when lifting a load, or

3,531,087 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 ice to permit the drum to rotate in the opposite direction in controlled relation, when lowering a load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the fluid actuated stepping winch, with a portion being broken away to bring out the details of construction; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, taken at a right angle to the winch as shown in FIG. 1, with parts being broken away and with parts being shown in section to bring out the details of construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, the winch means is designated generally by the numeral 132, which winch has a cable 128 wound thereon, as is best seen in FIG. 2.

A base 134 has upright bearing standards 136 thereon, each which bearing standard has a bearing or mounting 138 on the upper end thereof. A shaft 140 is mounted within hearings or mountings 138, which shaft receives a drum 142 thereon in journaled relation. The winch drum 142 has ratchet teeth 144 and 146, one set on each side of the winch drum on the flanges thereof. Outwardly extending levers 148 and 150 are mounted in journaled relation for arcuate movement about the axis of shaft 140, with one lever being on each side of the winch drum 142. The lever 148 has a plunger 152 connected there to by a pivot pin 154. The plunger 152 is mounted within a fluid cylinder 156, which fluid cylinder is mounted on base 134 by pivot pin 158 which pin passes through apertured lugs 160 on base 134 and through an apertured lug on the lower end of cylinder 156.

A plunger 162 is pivotally connected to lever 150 by a pivot pin 164, which plunger extends into fluid cylinder 166, which cylinder has an apertured lug on the lower end thereof, which cylinder 166 is pivotally connected, by a pivot pin 168, to apertured lug 161 on base plate 134, which pin passes through the apertured lugs on the base plate and an apertured lug on the cylinder to permit pivotal action therebetween.

The fluid cylinders 156 and 166 have conduits 170 and 172 respectively connected to the respective lower ends thereof for the introduction of fluid under pressure into cylinders 156 and 166 respectively, which will move the respective plungers 152 and 162 upwardly to move the respective levers 148 and 150 about the axis of shaft 140. The lever 148 has a pawl 174 pivotally connected thereto engage ratchet teeth 144 formed around the periphery of winch drum 142, on one side thereof. The lever 150 has a pawl 176 pivotally connected thereto to engage teeth 146 on the opposite side of the winch drum from the teeth 144. It is preferable that the teeth 144 and 146 be staggered one-half pitch for smoothness of operation.

The levers 148 and 150 each have an apertured, upturned end to pivotally mount the respective fluid actuated cylinders 178 and 180 thereon. The respective fluid actuated cylinders 178 and 180 have plungers 182 and 184 respectively therein which extend outward therefrom, which plungers are pivotally connected to the respective pawls 174 and 176, as will best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The fluid cylinder 17 8 has conduits 186 and 188 connected to the opposite ends thereof, so upon applying fluid under pressure to conduit 186, the plunger 182 will engage pawl 174 within a ratchet tooth 144 on drum 142. Then, upon application of pressure to conduit 170, the plunger 152 will be moved outward to move lever 148 and pawl 174 about the axis of shaft 140 to wind cable 128 onto winch drum 142. However, during the upward movement of plunger 152, fluid under pressure is directed into conduit 190 and into the upper end of cylinder 166 to move the plunger 162 downward until pawl 176 is below one of the ratchet teeth 146, whereupon, a conventional fourway, manually operated switching valve may be used to simultaneously switch fluid under pressure from conduits 170 and 190 into conduits 172 and 192, whereupon fluid under pressure will move plunger 162 upward, while plunger 152 is being returned, due to fluid being introduced through conduit 192 into the upper portion of cylinder 156. These valves may be manually operated or the valves may be sequentially switched by an automatic programming mechanism, such as shown in my co-pending applications, Ser. No. 633,232, Automated Drill Stern and Pipe Positioner Device, filed Apr. 24, 1967, and Ser. No. 634,976, Automated Pipe Tongs, filed May 1, 1967. Likewise, the fluid under pressure to the respective cylinders 178 and 180 may be timed to properly engage the pawls 174 and 176 with the respective ratchet teeth 144 and 146, or fluid at low pressure may be maintained on conduits 186 and 187 to urge the respective plungers 182 and 184 outwardly to permit the pawls 174 and 175 to ratchet into place as the plungers 152 and 162 move the levers 148 and 150 to rotate the respective winch drums 142 to wind the cable 128 thereonto so as to maintain a predetermined tension on the respective cables 128.

When it is desired to unwind cable 128 from drum 142, the respective pawls 174 and 176 are alternately engaged against the teeth 144 and 146, and after a pressure has been applied to permit the removal of one of the pawls from the toothed elements, the plungers 152 and 162 are permitted to alternately retract after engaging the teeth to permit regulated unwinding of cable 128 from winch drum 142 in the reverse manner from winding cable thereonto. The sequential valving arrangement mentioned in the above named co-pending applications can be so timed as to permit the unwinding of cable from the drum 142 in such manner as to maintain a predetermined, constant tension thereon in accordance with regulated fluid pressure to the respective conduits.

What is claimed is:

1. A winch for exerting tension on a cable, which winch comprises:

(a) a base,

( 1) a shaft support means mounted on said base, (2) a shaft mounted Within said shaft support means, (b) a winch drum mounted on said shaft for rotation about the axis thereof for winding cable thereonto,

(c) two sets of circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth associated with said winch drum,

(d) two sets of pawls, one set associated with each said set of circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth associated with said drum,

(e) fluid actuated cylinder means to selectively actuate each said pawl,

(1) one said fluid cylinder means being associated with each pawl of said sets of pawls to alternately move said pawls to selectively rotate said winch drum uniformly about the axis of said shaft, and

(f) each said pawl has further fluid cylinder means associated therewith to selectively engage and disengage said respective pawls to enable said winch drum to be selectively rotated in either direction.

2. A winch for exerting tension on a cable, as defined in claim 1; wherein (a) a movable lever means associated with each pawl for pivotal movement of said lever means coaxial with the axis of the winch drum,

(b) each said pawl being pivotally mounted on said lever means, and

(0) each said further fluid cylinder means being pivotally connected to each said lever means and to each said pawl to enable the pawls to be selectively actuated.

3. A winch for exerting tension on a cable, as defined in claim 1; wherein (a) the pitch of one set of said circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth are in off-set relation with respect to the other set of circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth so said pawls will engage said circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth in alternate relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,585,118 5/1926 Schoolfield.

2,016,575 10/1935 Nemec 254l35 2,411,038 11/1946 Hetteen 254186 FOREIGN PATENTS 360,334 10/1922 Germany.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

